Team 0 Shippuden
by balthazarskullduggery
Summary: Team 0 is back and put up against a shadowy organisation known as Hoka whose sole mission is to watch the Ninja World burn however Team 0 has their demons to confront as strong bonds are tested, broken bonds are reformed and weak bonds are shattered. I don't own Naruto.
1. Welcome back

**Welcome Back**

Itachi woke up early in the morning and noticed that Natsuki wasn't next to him; instead, he saw a note where she should've been.

' _Hmm… Natsuki woke up earlier than me… must be something incredibly special happening. Maybe Dairuko is returning to Konoha with Hinata for good this time.'_ Itachi thought then got out of bed.

Itachi started making himself some eggs and got the distinct feeling that he was forgetting something, but he ignored it, figuring it will come to him during the course of the day. He soon realised he was out of tea, so he made himself look presentable before walking to the shop. As he was leaving the store, he noticed Tsunade outside the tea shop.

"Ohayogozaimasu, Tsunade-sama." Itachi greeted.

"Ah ohayo, Itachi." Tsunade turned and greeted Itachi, who got the shock of his life.

"Tsunade-sama… your… eyes."

"Ah yes, these… I bought them."

"You bought Sharingan… contact lenses?"

"Well, yes. I'm auditioning for a play… you know, not many people know this, but I was quite the actress in my younger days." Tsunade said proudly then cleared her throat and did her best Itachi voice. "I am… Uchiha Itachi."

"Uhm…"

"It's okay to be star struck, Itachi. Whispers of my acting skills are still in circulation 'til this day."

"Uhm… g-good luck for your audition, Tsunade-sama." Itachi stammered- and Itachi does not stammer easily.

"No luck required." Tsunade stated and placed her hands on her hips while Itachi slowly backed away.

' _I could've gone the day without seeing that.'_ Itachi thought to himself as he left the shop with his tea.

As Itachi walked through the village he encountered Rock Lee who also had Sharingan contacts, but had drawn on lines on his face to match the ones on Itachi's own face.

"Ah, Itachi-san, ohayogozaimasu!" Lee greeted.

"Good… good morning." Itachi replied warily.

"Itachi-san, can I ask your opinion on something?"

"Uhm…"

"Thank you," Lee cleared his throat. " _I am Uchiha Itachi."_

' _Is this a dream… no, a nightmare?'_

"Lee, you are disturbing Itachi-san." Neji said as he showed up with his eyes closed and arms tucked into his sleeves. "Besides… _I am Uchiha Itachi._ " Neji declared and opened his eyes to reveal his Sharingan contacts. "Byaku-Sharingan!"

"Byaku-Sharingan doesn't make you Itachi-san!"

"Neither does drawing lines on your face!"

"Let's ask Itachi-san what he thinks about it." Neji and Lee turned to Itachi who was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did he go?" Lee scratched his head.

"All I wanted was some tea… not to find the whole village losing their minds and wearing Sharingan contact lenses. Where did they even find them? Why are there even Sharingan contact lenses in the first place!" Itachi mumbled to himself as he walked home. He turned the corner and saw Ayame hanging up something on a wall. "Ohayo, Ayame-san." Itachi greeted and Ayame jumped a little.

"I-Itachi-kun! O-ohayo ano… how are you?" Ayame asked.

"What are you doing?"

"N-nothing."

"Okay." Itachi said, then easily looked past Ayame and saw a poster that read; 'Uchiha Itachi: The Musical.'

"… What is that?"

"Uhm… it was Dairuko's idea." Ayame said quickly.

"Of course it was… why?"

"It's your birthday, Itachi-kun." Ayame said and after a second it clicked in his own head.

"Oh… so it is." Itachi said and Ayame laughed.

"You forgot your own birthday?"

"I've had a lot on my mind."

"I know what that's like, Itachi-kun."

"Keiko-chan giving you trouble again?"

"Yeah, she really is Dairuko's daughter. I can't wait to see her face when she sees her father again." Ayame smiled.

"I'll send him straight to the restaurant."

"Thanks, Itachi-kun."

"You're welcome… now tell me about this musical." Itachi said.

"Ano…"

Itachi stood at the entrance to Konoha, waiting for Dairuko to return with Hinata after their three years of training abroad. Itachi heard Dairuko's voice in the distance.

"Yo, Itachi!" Dairuko called out and Itachi just sighed.

"Hello, Dairuko… Hinata-sama." Itachi greeted as they got closer, bowing his head slightly to Hinata.

"Ah man, I missed you. How long has it been like, 6 months since my last visit?" Dairuko said, then gave Itachi a bear hug that lifted the latter off the ground. Hinata laughed slightly.

"Hello, Itachi-san." Hinata greeted.

"You're looking a lot more confident since I last saw you, Hinata-sama… stronger; I just hope that Dairuko hasn't corrupted your soul."

"He hasn't." she said lightly, "I'm still the same, Itachi-san."

"I'm not that bad."

"Yes, you are." Itachi and Hinata both said.

"You guys are the worst." Dairuko said.

"I see you let your hair grow out." Itachi noted of Hinata's hair growth.

"Thanks for noticing man. I wasn't sure about it at first, but now… it kinda _grew_ on me… get it?" No one laughed. "Get it? … Ah, you guys suck."

"Dairuko, we need to discuss this 'Uchiha Itachi Musical' while Hinata-sama meets with her family and friends."

"Ano… I, uhm… let me explain." Dairuko said.

Natsuki sat on a tree branch watching two shinobi walk pass her, before she jumped in front of them and kicked both shinobi into a tree, where two black snakes wrapped around them.

"Where's Kabuto?" Natsuki asked. She and Ren had been searching for Kabuto for over a year now; with each lead taking them to a dead end- until now. Natsuki and Ren had finally found him.

"We're not betraying Kabuto-sama!" One shinobi exclaimed.

"Come out and face us, you traitorous bastard! The second shinobi added.

"You guys asked for it." Natsuki said and Ren appeared from behind her.

"You should've told her when she asked… now before _I_ ask you, let me show you what will happen to you." Ren said as his eyes changed into that of a lizard, then the two shinobi screamed as Ren put them under a special genjutsu that showed them their deaths at his hands.

"He's in the abandoned warehouse near the docks!" They both screamed.

"Thank you for your cooperation." Ren said and had acid shoot from his mouth onto one of the shinobi's face. He screamed in pain as the acid ate away at his skin.

"But you said-" the second shinobi started but was cut off by Ren spewing acid on him as well.

"I said I'll show you what **will** happen." Ren simply said when a third shinobi, who had been hiding, started running away. "Would you like to get this one, Natsuki?"

"…With pleasure." Natsuki gave a sadistic smile before activating her Lightning Sage mode and, in a flash of black lightning, the shinobi's left arm was severed and Natsuki stood in front of him with her sword.

"P-please don't." He begged but Natsuki just stabbed him and watched the life leave his eyes.

"Begging is so pathetic." She said before pulling out her sword and walking back to Ren. "Let's go."

"After you." Ren said and followed after her.

While they walked to the warehouse, Natsuki thought about how -once they had Kabuto- she could finally have someone on the inside of Hoka feeding her information so she can strike them from the inside, and out.

"You can't keep what we're doing a secret forever, Natsuki-chan." Ren said.

"I'll deal with that when the time comes." Natsuki simply said.

"You certainly are attractive when you're distant."

"Shut up, we've got work to do."

After escaping Itachi's wrath Dairuko went to find two of the few people he genuinely missed.

"You get more beautiful every damn time I see you." Dairuko said to Ayame as he stood in the doorway with a smirk.

"Dairuko!" Ayame exclaimed and ran into Dairuko, giving him a hug and a lingering kiss.

"I missed you too." Dairuko said, as he held Ayame by her hips off the ground.

"Itachi knows about the musical."

"I knew he would find out eventually. How many applicants did we have?"

"Dairuko, before we talk about your prank you have someone else you need to see."

"Yes… my mother."

"Dairuko, you're trying to play dumb again. It won't work a second time."

"Had a feeling it wouldn't… where is my daughter?"

"She was abducted by her grandmother."

"I'll go save her and be back in time for my coming home present." Dairuko winked.

"Just go, Dairuko." Ayame smiled and Dairuko left.

As Dairuko walked through the village, he realised that Ayame hadn't commented on his hair, which was now shoulder length.

' _What kind of girlfriend doesn't notice her baby daddy's new hair?_ ' Dairuko thought when he found Tsunade in the park with a small baby that had white blonde hair and dark brown eyes.

"Hello, mother." Dairuko greeted and Tsunade turned around.

"The Prodigal son returns." Tsunade said and the two stared at each other in tense silence.

"I missed you!"  
"I missed you!" they both exclaimed.

"But I missed my number one girl in the whole world more." Dairuko said and held the baby. "You missed daddy too right, Keiko?"

"Yessth." The baby said.

"Sh-sh-she can talk?"

"Yes, she said her first word two months ago, been talking ever since. Still has a 'th' to her words."

"Hold her please." Dairuko handed Keiko to Tsunade and passed out.

"Not again." Tsunade sighed and slung Dairuko over his shoulder. "Your mother did this on purpose, didn't she?"

"Yessth."

"I'm the best grandparent in the world right, Keiko?"

"Yessth."

"I knew it." Tsunade smiled to herself and carried her son and granddaughter back home.

 _Meanwhile_

Kabuto went flying through the wall of the warehouse. It was needless to say that Ren and Natsuki had found him, they were currently 'convincing' him to help them in their fight against the Hoka.

"Just agree, Kabuto, and save us all a lot of time." Natsuki said as she and Ren walked towards Kabuto.

"What you're asking me to do is suicide!" Kabuto argued.

"If Orochimaru asked you to do the same thing you would follow it, no questions asked." Ren said then pulled off his face to show Orochimaru's. "Isn't that right, Kabuto?" he said in Orochimaru's voice.

"No! I won't do it!" Kabuto exclaimed.

"So be it." Ren said and Natsuki ran her Chidori through Kabuto's chest. "You sure that was necessary, Natsuki?"

"He wasn't going to help us. Better to have no loose ends." Natsuki said and left.

"I really like this side of you, Natsuki-chan." Ren said after putting his actual face back on.

"I'm spoken for."

"Ah yes. _Him._ " Ren sneered. "One of the last Uchiha… a dead clan even _before_ they were killed."

"What do you mean, ' _one_ of the last'?"

"There were two other Uchiha I was keeping tabs on, but they are an old couple, nearing death now, and no direct relation to your dear Uchiha prince."

"Why were you keeping tabs on two Uchiha?"

"Why not? I was curious as to why two Uchiha clan members never returned to Konoha to exact revenge for the deaths of their kinsman. Turns out they were too old."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Because after all our time together, you still don't trust me. You're so paranoid, just like your boyfriend-" Ren was cut off by Natsuki holding a Chidori to his throat.

"You really need to stop talking."

"Did I hit a nerve?" Ren smirked.

"If you did, I doubt you'd be talking with my hand through your throat."

"Oh? I like this game." Ren said and Natsuki just smirked and let him go.

"You and Dairuko are the same." Natsuki said.

"I'm what?"

"You're like Dairuko."

"I'm nothing like that egotistical moron!" Ren said and grabbed Natsuki by the neck. "Dairuko is a fool; trash! Don't you compare me to **him**!"

"Did I hit a nerve?" Natsuki smirked and Ren let her go.

"Very funny, now go before you miss the party."

"What party?"

"Itachi's party." Then it clicked in Natsuki's head.

"Oh shit!" Natsuki exclaimed then activated her Lightning Sage mode and ran straight back to Konoha, leaving a trail of fire in her wake.

Itachi sat and watched the musical of himself. As embarrassing as it was, he enjoyed the makeshift low budget musical with Neji playing Itachi- who actually did a decent job. Unfortunately, the same enjoyment couldn't be said for his party. As much as Itachi appreciated all the people who came, parties weren't his scene, so when the time was right, he snuck out without anyone noticing and sat on top of Tobirama's head on the Hokage mountain with the breeze blowing through his hair when Dairuko landed on Hashirama's head.

"Sneaky bastard you are, Uchiha Itachi." Dairuko said as he sat down.

"You know parties aren't for me." Itachi said.

"Yeah, well, Ayame wouldn't listen when I told her. She thought I was just trying to skip out of cleaning up after a party as well as the play."

"I find that to be a valid concern."

"If I wanted to, I'd skip out on cleaning."

"True enough."

"Itachi! Keiko can talk!" Dairuko exclaimed excitedly.

"I know."

"C'mon man, you're the only real friend I got. Can't you feign even a little enthusiasm for me, 'cause I need to tell someone who gets excited as well." Itachi took a deep breath and put on a genuine smile.

"Congratulations, Dairuko."

"Thanks man."

"Dairuko, we need to talk about Natsuki."

"What's up?"

"She's hiding something from us." Itachi said and Dairuko became very serious.

"I had a feeling you'd notice as well… when I got back today, I had Shizune bring me up to speed on you guys' escapades, and I read Natsuki's report on her mission to the Land of Lightning."

"It was too vague for a report from Natsuki."

"Exactly. Natsuki's like a beta, pointing out plot holes that should be dealt with."

"That group she encountered is what gets my attention."

"I hear that there's something off about them, like there's more to this than Natsuki reported." They both remained silent until there was an explosion from the direction of the party. They both stood up and jumped towards the party to investigate.

When they arrived they saw Natsuki and Tsunade tending to the wounded. Natsuki pointed to a running figure, and Dairuko and Itachi took off after the figure.

Itachi and Dairuko chased the figure through the woods and the figure formed water chakrams before throwing the saucers of death at their pursuers, but Dairuko and Itachi both dodged the attacks easily, not losing any ground in the process.

"Damn they're fast." Dairuko said.

"But not faster than us." Itachi said then noticed that the figure was not familiar with the woods noting that they passed several paths that would aid their escape. "Dairuko." Itachi said and when Dairuko looked over, Itachi nodded and so did Dairuko then, Itachi broke left while Dairuko kept following the figure.

"You should just give up now before I hurt you even more than I already plan to!" Dairuko called out to the figure before summoning a large shuriken. "Overly Large Shuriken of Doom!" Dairuko then threw the shuriken, but the figure stopped and caught the shuriken before throwing it back at Dairuko who ducked under it. "Okay, they're strong too." Dairuko added before chasing after the figure again.

As the figure ran, they were cut off by Itachi who appeared from the left side with a punch. The punch didn't seem to have any effect on the figure and they punched Itachi right back without slowing down. Dairuko had a branch appear in front of him and when he reached it he broke it off, and then threw it as a spear that pierced the figure through the back, but the figure kept moving until they reached a cliff and jumped off into the ocean.

"Holy shit!" Dairuko exclaimed then looked over the cliff and saw his makeshift spear floating in the water.

"My Sharingan can't see them." Itachi said searching the water for anyone swimming.

"Where's a Neji when you need one?"

"I'm right here." Neji said, arriving on the scene. "Byakugan!" Neji scanned the water and found nothing. "I can't see him."

"How do you know it's a him?" Dairuko asked.

"Males have a different chakra emission than females."

"Alright, so is there any way to avoid Byakugan detection?" Itachi asked.

"Move out of range of sight."

"Well that's not possible. He'd have to dive deeper into the water than is humanly possible." Dairuko said.

"The only other way is a special eye jutsu that my team and Naruto encountered once before that can trick the Byakugan into seeing something else."

"That's not it." Itachi said. "If it were, he'd have to be holding his breath this entire time we've been talking."

"So what? He just vanished?" Dairuko asked.

"As unlikely as it is, it is possible."

"So we got some guy who's fast, strong, tough and just blew up a part of Konoha and may or may not be able to disappear into thin air." Dairuko said.

"Welcome back." Itachi said.


	2. Village Hidden in the Sea: Part one

**Village Hidden in the Sea: Part 1**

"Usually I'd be super excited about being back in active duty, but that was insane." Dairuko was saying to Itachi, as they were re-entering the village, when Ayame ran up to Dairuko.

"Dairuko, are you alright? I heard the explosion and-" Ayame started, but Dairuko cut her off.

"Ayame, I'm fine, really, just more confused than anything… Itachi and I need to let the Hokage know what happened during the chase. I'll be back soon." Dairuko reassured her.

"Alright… fine." Ayame pouted and watched Dairuko and Itachi walk away. Itachi chuckled lightly.

"What's so funny?" Dairuko asked.

"I'm still not quite used to Dairuko in a stable relationship." Itachi said.

"Shut up and let's go."

"Sorry, Dairuko, I have something a little more important to do right now. You will have to report this on your own." Dairuko noticed Natsuki in the distance.

"Yeah. Sure. Let my sister know I say hello." Dairuko said and walked away.

Itachi approached Natsuki who was investigating the explosion.

"I've never seen an explosive like this before…" Natsuki said to herself.

"Were you here when it happened?" Itachi asked.

"I arrived only seconds before you guys, just in time to help out; sorry I missed the party- training was intense." She added lamely. "Happy birthday, 'Tachi." She stood up then gave Itachi a light kiss.

"Thank you, so what do we know?"

"Jack shit is what we know. I've never seen explosives like this. What about you guys? Any luck on the person who did this?"

"He got away."

"How? You and Dairuko were chasing him."

"He jumped off the cliff into the water and never resurfaced."

"So… he's dead?"

"I doubt it."

"So he what; just disappeared?"

"That seems to be the case, I have Neji watching the sea with his Byakugan should anything happen. He knows how to contact us."

"What's the plan?"

"We wait."

"For what?"

"He'll show himself again, and we'll be ready for him."

"I don't like it."

"If you have any sort of plan, I'll listen." Itachi and Natsuki both locked eyes.

"And that's what happened." Dairuko ended his report to Tsunade.

"Hmm… soka you are dismissed, Dairuko." Tsunade said and Dairuko bowed his head slightly before leaving.

The next morning Dairuko met with Itachi and Natsuki for tea while they discussed what transpired the night before.

"Well it's certainly nice seeing my sister again." Dairuko said.

"Yes it's good to see you too, Dairuko." Natsuki replied. "I like the new look… very rogue."

"Thank you for noticing, unlike some people… I won't give names." Dairuko said, then side-eyed Itachi.

"Stop side eyeing me, Dairuko." Itachi said with his eyes closed.

"How do you-"

"He's Itachi." Natsuki cut in.

"Now that we got the pleasantries out of the way, we need to talk about what happened last night." Itachi said and sipped his tea.

"Whoever he was, he was sent on a mission." Natsuki started.

"He's strong as hell." Dairuko added.

"He didn't know his way around the forest… he's probably an outsider." Itachi said.

"Only real water related village is the Hidden Mist, I say we start there." Dairuko suggested.

"No." Natsuki said.

"You still sore about that?" Dairuko asked.

"Hey, I was just trying to finish a mission when the Bitch of the Mist decided to arrest me for trespassing, even after I explained that there was a really bad guy out there; and she deserved… getting knocked down by a thirteen year old girl." Natsuki explained.

"Who was actually doing jounin level missions." Dairuko added.

"Besides, you haven't set foot in the Stone Village since _your_ little incident."

"Hold up now, that is entirely different. The Flying Midget has it out for me just cause me and his granddaughter had a relationship once… with several-"

"Stop your story right there." Natsuki intervened.

"I'm going to the Hidden Mist." Itachi stood up. "We are Konoha's mobile unit and we have not been very mobile in recent years."

"Returning to our roots," Dairuko said "I'm game."

"You guys are the worst." Natsuki sighed. "I'm in."

"Natsuki, Dairuko and I will be going to the Mist for the sake of our contacts; you should go elsewhere for information." Itachi suggested.

"I guess I'll start packing." Natsuki said and left, then came back. "Never finish my tea."

Team 0 had split up, with Dairuko and Itachi in the Hidden Mist village, while Natsuki went off to find the only person who would be able to give her some answers.

"Maybe it's just me, but I swear this place gets more eerie every time I come back." Dairuko said to Itachi as their boat neared the village.

"I wouldn't know." Itachi replied.

"Whatever… we're here anyway."

"Dairuko, you find us a place to stay. I have some people to meet."

"Yeah, sure."

A lonely beggar walked through the Hidden Mist village, scrounging for money and food when, from an alleyway, a hand grabbed the beggar.

"I'm looking for the Grey Rat." The owner of the hand was revealed to be Itachi.

"Itachi-sama, I uhm… this way please." The beggar said and led Itachi to an old cemetery where the beggar pulled a chain which opened a stairway into the crypt. Inside was a haven full beggars and homeless families, each one looked as you'd expect them to; wearing rags with dirt all over them.

"Please don't do this to my family, Grey Rat, I beg you." A man in formal, fashionable clothes begged another man wearing rags.

"You know what it takes to keep my silence." Grey Rat said.

"I can't pay you that much money without questions being asked." The man said.

"You should've thought of that before getting yourself a mistress."

"You bastard!" The man tried to run at Grey Rat but the latter pulled out a knife and held it against his throat.

"I could kill you and send my information to your dear wife and everyone you know, and you can die a meaningless death or; you can pay me the fucking money I asked for and you won't have to worry about me until next month- your choice." Grey Rat said and the man surrendered to Grey Rat's terms. "Thank you for your co-operation."

Itachi silently watched the whole interaction and as the man walked passed him he quickly used his Sharingan to make the man forget the location of Grey Rat.

"Ah! Itachi-san, it is good to see you again." Grey Rat greeted Itachi with open arms as he stepped into view.

"You should take precautions next time you just let someone leave your hideout." Itachi said simply.

"I had it under control… how're the eyes?"

"You know why I'm here?"

"Not this time, my friend. Why don't you enlighten me?"

"There was an attack on Konoha recently, I have a feeling you know something."

"I'm sorry, Itachi-san. I heard about it but I know nothing. I do, however, have a little bit of info that you might find interesting."

"I'm only here for who's behind the attack."

"It involves your clan, Itachi-san."

"My clan is dead."

"I found survivors in the village, an old couple." Grey Rat said and Itachi was quiet for a moment.

"Where are they?"

"One of my people will show you to them." Grey Rat clicked his finger and a young boy came to him and he whispered something to the boy.

"Follow me, Itachi-sama." The boy said and started running with Itachi running after him.

A young woman wearing a grey, form-fitting battle suit with a small black cloak and hood snuck into the home of a wealthy family, who was out on vacation at the time. She walked through the house, straight to a painting on the far side of the room, then felt around the edges and pressed a switch that was hidden, revealing the safe.

"3-6-7-2." She muttered to herself before opening the safe to find it empty.

"Looking for something?" Dairuko asked, as he switched on the light near him while holding a red jewelled necklace. "Red was always your colour."

"Dairuko, or are you Sasaki this time?" The woman asked.

"Dairuko this time, I just wanted to ask you a few things, shouldn't take too long."

"Sure what do you want to know?" She replied and before Dairuko could ask her the question; a shadow figure quickly snatched the necklace from Dairuko and returned to the woman.

"I had a feeling that you'd do that, so I made a fake." Dairuko said and the necklace puffed into smoke. "So just help me out… for old time's sake besides, you owe me for our last escapade in the Stone Village."

"You nearly got me killed."

"Not my fault you're afraid of flying."

"Only when the thing I'm flying in is a piece of junk created by some mad scientist in Suna!"

"Hey, Koneko's invention still got us to safety."

"Crash landing into a river isn't safety."

"Any landing you can walk away from is a good one I say."

"What do you want, Dairuko?"

"There was an attack in Konoha. Know anything?"

"Maybe I do maybe I don't, I need something to jog my memory."

"I have this necklace… tell me what I want to know and it's yours."

"Dairuko, I stole that fair and square."

"And I stole it first, so let's compromise here." Dairuko said as he twirled the necklace around his finger.

"I'm sure we can." She said seductively and walked towards Dairuko who stood up.

"I have a family now, so there won't be any of _this_ anymore." Dairuko said, holding up a hand to stop her.

"No one will know… I promise." She continued and ran her hand down his chest before leaning in for a kiss.

"You're probably right," Dairuko said then blocked the woman's kiss with his hand. "but _I_ know what you're doing, and it's not gonna work, Kuroka." Dairuko smirked and Kuroka groaned into his hand, then tried to swipe the jewel from his other hand but Dairuko raised his arm straight up. "You are a better thief than me, Kuroka, but I will always be taller."

Kuroka stomped on Dairuko's foot before kneeing him in the groin and, grabbing the necklace from him, jumped out the window.

"Why? Why did she knee me in the dick?" Dairuko squealed with tears in his eyes.

' _He always did let girls get too close to him.'_ Kuroka thought as she jumped from roof to roof.

"Fucking bitch." Dairuko said as he recovered then gripped both sides of the window before catapulting himself out with such force that he even overtook Kuroka.

As Kuroka reached Dairuko he attempted to punch her, but she flipped over him but Dairuko grabbed her by the ankle and threw her into a house across from them before following suit.

"Why must everything be impossible with you!?" Dairuko exclaimed.

"Because you're a dick!" Kuroka answered back.

"Fine we'll do this the hard way."

"We shall." Kuroka said and the shadow figure reappeared.

Kuroka attacked first with an overhead kick that Dairuko blocked, and the shadow attacked with a kick to the stomach that Dairuko took by hardening his abs to absorb the hit. While Dairuko held her one leg, Kuroka used the shadow as leverage to somersault kick Dairuko in the chin and the shadow swept Dairuko off his feet with a low kick.

"No fair, it's two against one!" A voice exclaimed causing Dairuko and Kuroka to pause, mid-fight, to look at the family huddled in the corner. The son had a sad look on his face while the daughter was excited.

"Nu-uh, he has muscles so it's fair!" the daughter exclaimed.

"I think they're betting on who'd win." Dairuko muttered to Kuroka who just nodded and listened to the kids arguing when the shadow hit Dairuko on the back of the head with a pan. "OW!"

"Use the chair!" The husband called out to Kuroka and his wife hit his arm.

"Throat punch no jutsu!" Dairuko exclaimed and hit Kuroka in the throat with a lightning fast jab. "Take a seat!" Dairuko said before grabbing a chair and hitting the shadow with it.

"Get her!" the wife screamed which got a look from her husband. "You can root for that skank, so I can root for him." She snapped in response to the look.

"Secret Technique: Boob-a-Palm!" Dairuko exclaimed then palm struck Kuroka's boob knocking her back and causing the wife to cover her chest. "Don't worry, that should take her down… 'cause she has big boobs… and they're sensitive."

Kuroka lunged forward, two footing Dairuko in the groin again, full force, causing the husband to cover up.

"That was for my tits, you bastard." Kuroka said.

"You fucking bitch." Dairuko said as he lay on the ground.

"Thank you for having us this evening." Kuroka said and bowed then the shadow disappeared. Dairuko shot out a large wooden trunk from his hand that branched out like a hand- knocking Kuroka out, before seizing her in its grip.

"There's ice in the freezer." The husband said pointing at the freezer. Dairuko walked over and took an ice pack.

"Thanks."

"Oi! Wake up." Dairuko said, slapping Kuroka awake.

"W-what?" Kuroka said groggily, and Dairuko slapped her again.

"Firstly; why'd you keep kicking me in the dick? And secondly;" Dairuko slapped her again. "That was for my dick."

"You jerk."

"I'm a jerk with this." Dairuko held the necklace up. "You know what you need to do to get it."

"Why don't you remind."

"Because you already know."

"I don't recall anything."

"Fine. Wanna be impossible? I'll bring Itachi here for interrogation purposes."

"You brought Itachi?"

"Yes, we have a mission… oh yeah, that's what I'm doing here; the Konoha attack."

"Yes, I remember now!" Kuroka said in realisation.

"Fighting really makes you forget stuff, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"Now what do you know about the attack?"

"Not a thing."

"Are you fucking kidding me, all of that was for nothing!?"

"Hey, you know our deal; you earn whatever information I give you one way or another and, because you're a family man now, one way is out of the question."

"What a waste." Dairuko said then tossed the necklace to her.

"Hey… tell Itachi I said hello."

"Will do." Dairuko said dismissively, and then returned to his and Itachi's hotel where he found Itachi sitting on the bed.

"Any luck?" Itachi asked, turning his head to Dairuko.

"None. What about you?"

"No."

"So both our contacts- who have roots in the underworld- can't help us… shit. I hope Natsuki is faring better than we are."

 _Meanwhile_

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this!" Natsuki exclaimed as she and Ren both ran away from a giant snake.

"You wanted information. I will give you information… after we're done with this woman. So you go low and I'll go high." Ren said.

"Fine!" Natsuki exclaimed then used her Chidori Spear to slice the snake as it approached her, while Ren jumped up and kicked the woman on top off the snake, before punching her on the floor- unconscious.

"So… what now?"

"You won't believe me if I told you… I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't seen the things Orochimaru's done, but… there's a village in the sea- underwater."

"You're kidding me?"

"No, but they are normally peaceful people… Hoka may be behind this, trying to frame the village; or the village has allied with Hoka. Regardless, something is amiss."

"How do I get to this village?"

"You can't enter- let alone reach the village -unless a villager appears on the surface and… helps you." Ren shrugged then looked at the woman on the ground. "The last Orochimaru loyalist was his only real fangirl."

"So… what you're saying is; I must wait for another attack?"

"Yes."

"Well, you were of no help to me."

"I'm more help than most."

 _Meanwhile back at the plot_

"I'm sure she's fine." Dairuko said.

"I think I've had enough of today." Itachi said lying down.

"I hear that." Dairuko replied and did the same. "Oh, Kuroka says hello."

"Damn it."


	3. Jiraiya's return

**Jiraiya's Return**

Dairuko and Itachi left the Hidden Mist village early the next morning- thanks to Dairuko's midnight brawl- but Itachi had decided to make a stop before they actually left.

"So why're we here?" Dairuko asked looking up at the modest looking house while Itachi knocked on the door.

"I'm saying goodbye to some people." Itachi said and the door opened to an elderly couple.

"Itachi-san, what brings you here so early?" the old woman asked.

"Sugimoto-san, I apologise for disturbing your sleep but, I just came by to say that I'm leaving and I wanted to say goodbye."

"Ah soka… so that must be the Dairuko you spoke about." The old man pointed at Dairuko.

"Yes Jinpachi-san… that's Dairuko."

"Yes I am, Senju Dairuko." Dairuko stepped in with a smile.

"I see what you mean. He looks like that type of person."

"I told you."

"Wait what?" Dairuko asked. "What'd you say about me?" Dairuko asked turning to Itachi. "What'd he say about me?" he asked as he turned to the couple. "Whatever he said, it's a lie! Unless it was something good, then it was true, so totally true."

"We must be going now, I'm afraid, I hope we'll see each other again." Itachi bowed.

"Indeed, Itachi-san, remember our door is always open for you." Sugimoto smiled and the two shinobi walked out the village.

"No, really, what'd you tell them?" Dairuko asked once they were away from the village. Itachi just smiled to himself.

"Itachi, since you won't tell me what you told that couple about me, perhaps you'd help me out and tell me who they were?" Dairuko asked.

"They are Uchiha; they left the clan and Konoha when the idea to overthrow the village was still just a rumour. They've since just lived in the Mist." Itachi said.

"Oh, well, then… you're not alone anymore."

"I was never alone, Dairuko." Itachi said with a smile and placed his hand on Dairuko's shoulder.

Back in the village Natsuki played with Keiko while waiting for Dairuko and Itachi to return to the village.

"Thank you again, Natsuki-chan, for taking care of Keiko while I'm at work." Ayame said as she tied her apron.

"Of course, what kind friend would I be to turn you away in this moment of need, and what kind of aunt would I be to say no to spend time with my only niece." Natsuki said with a smile, cuddling said niece to her chest. Ayame gave Keiko a kiss on her forehead before leaving.

A while later there was a knock on the door and Natsuki answered, she had just put Keiko down to sleep.

"Missed me?" Jiraiya asked.

"Sensei, you're back." Natsuki said.

"Yup I'm back and here to stay… until I have another mission of course."

"Very reassuring." Natsuki said sarcastically, when Keiko toddled into the room.

"Oh." Jiraiya said staring at the baby. "So… you and Itachi, eh?"

"No, sensei." Natsuki picked up Keiko. "This is Keiko. She's your granddaughter."

"M-m-m-m-my what?"

"Your granddaughter." Natsuki's words came out in slow motion to Jiraiya. "She's Dairuko and Ayame's daughter." Natsuki said.

"I'm a jii-san?"

"Yes."

"Wow… I never thought I'd call myself that." Jiraiya said and leaned down to Keiko. "So… what's your name?"

"Yesth." Keiko answered.

"She always answers questions with 'yes', thanks to Tsunade-sama always asking Keiko if she's the best baa-chan." Natsuki clarified.

"How old is she, Natsuki?"

"She's two years old."

"Two years?! Why didn't anyone tell me I was a jii-san in two years?"

"We had no way of contacting you, sensei. You did go AWOL on us during your time with Naruto."

"Can't argue with that."

"No, you can't. Now say hello."

"Hello." Keiko said.

"Not you, Keiko, I was talking to jii-sensei."

"Oh, hello, Keiko." Jiraiya said and realised what Natsuki called him. "Oi! I am still your sensei and you will respect that."

"Okay, Jii-raiya-sensei." Natsuki laughed and Jiraiya pouted then whispered to Keiko.

"Please don't let your aunt influence you."

"I hope she doesn't turn out like **you** …" Dairuko said upon entering the front door as he arrived with Itachi. He had just caught Jiraiya's stage whisper. "…Hello, father."

"Why are you all ganging up on me? I just found out that I have a granddaughter!"

"Ah, I remember when I found out I was going to be a father…" Dairuko trailed off.

 _Flashback_

 _Dairuko and Hinata returned to Konoha for the first time in five months since they left for training. Hinata decided to catch up with her teammates and put her training to the test against them in a friendly sparring match while Dairuko went to Ichiraku's shop hoping for a chance to talk to Ayame… and possibly more._

" _I'm back, Ramen-san!" Dairuko announced as he entered, when a knife flew pass him and lodged itself into the wall behind him._

" _Teme! You stole my daughter's innocence!" Teuchi exclaimed then threw a series of knives._

" _I swear it was completely mutual!" Dairuko called out and dodged the knives before grabbing a table head and blocking a knife aimed at his crotch. "Not cool." Dairuko said then saw old man Teuchi climb over the counter, Dairuko then ran out and down the street with Teuchi giving chase._

" _I will catch you, teme!" he called out in a fury._

" _How is it that old people can instantly run as if they were young when you're in trouble?" Dairuko asked himself_. 'Reminds me of the Stone Village.'

 _Flashback inside a Flashback (_ **because I can** _)_

 _Seventeen year old Dairuko jumped out of a window in the Tsuchikage tower and, as he fell, the Tsuchikage flew after him hurling rocks at him._

" _I'll kill you, when I catch you!" Tsuchikage exclaimed._

" _You know, if you let me, I can explain everything!" Dairuko called back._

" _I won't listen to your lies!"_

" _I swear it was mutual!"_

 _Meanwhile inside the tower, Dairuko emerged from under Shirotsuchi- the Tsuchikage's oldest granddaughter's- bed._

" _That was close." Dairuko said putting on his clothes. When he had heard the Tsuchikage coming, he knew he wouldn't have enough time put on clothes and hide so he instead made a fully clothed clone of himself, which the Tsuchikage was currently trying to kill._

" _You could've just made your clone look like someone else." Shirotsuchi said._

" _Wasn't enough time to make a fool proof plan."_

" _If you say so." She shrugged. "This is our last encounter, I take it."_

" _Sadly yes, but you are definitely top 3."_

" _Top 5."_

" _I know I did better than top 5."_

" _I'm not stroking your ego anymore, Dairuko."_

" _Too late."_

" _Just go already, before my jii-san comes back."_

" _Right, but first," Dairuko threw her bra at her. "that's yours," then he kissed her. "that's mine." And he left._

 _Back to the main flashback_

'Good times.' _Dairuko thought as he took a left turn then made a series of clones that scattered, causing Teuchi of Ichiraku Ramen, father of Ayame, to give up the chase and return to the shop. "Well damn… he knows I slept with his daughter, wonder if it would've changed anything if I'd have mentioned it was only one time." Dairuko said to himself as he got out of the wooden box he was hiding in._

" _Probably not." Ayame said, suddenly standing behind him._

" _Ayame!" Dairuko said excitedly, ready to hug her, and then he saw she had a belly. "Whoa, you let yourself go." Dairuko said pointing at her belly._

" _Baka!" Ayame exclaimed, then hit Dairuko on the head before taking a deep breathe. "I'm pregnant, Dairuko."_

 _Dairuko looked at Ayame for a bit, then blinked rapidly for a few seconds then spoke._

" _Congratulations." Dairuko said shaking her hand. "Who's the father? I swear if I don't like him, I'll kick his ass."_

" _You're the father, Dairuko."_

" _Say what?"_

" _Yes. Remember that night by the lake?"_

" _Hehe, oh yes," he said grinning sagely, "yes I do."_

" _That's when it happened."_

" _But that's impossible. You can't pregnant in water."_

" _Who told you that?"_

" _Jiraiya… He lied to me." Dairuko muttered. "When did you find out?"_

" _Six weeks later."_

" _Why didn't you tell me? I was still in the village."_

" _Because I could see that spark in your eyes every time you spoke about training with Hinata, and I knew you cared about Hinata, and I knew that more than anything you wanted for her to realise how strong she really is. I couldn't rob you of that. I love you too much to do that." Ayame explained. Dairuko held her at arm's length._

" _No offence but, even if you had told me before I left, I still would've taken Hinata training, only because I made her a promise that I would, and I am a man of my word. So you can trust me when I say that once I'm back in the village, I will be the best damn father I can be. That's my promise… to both of you." Dairuko pulled Ayame into a kiss. "You know I love you."_

"You lied to me." Dairuko said evilly, looking straight into Jiraiya's eyes.

"What I did?" Jiraiya waved his hands.

"You said girls can't get pregnant if it's done in water."

"Wait… you actually believed me?"

"Yes!" Dairuko said and Jiraiya laughed. "You are so lucky that my daughter is here, otherwise I'd kick your-"

"Language." Itachi stepped in.

"I was going to say something else."

"Did you guys find out anything in the Mist?" Natsuki asked of her teammates after they left Keiko with Jiraiya, much to Dairuko's horror.

"I should stay with Keiko and Jiraiya." Dairuko said.

"No." Itachi answered Natsuki. "What about you?"

"I mean, it's Jiraiya! He could be using my daughter to pick up girls!" Dairuko stressed.

"My contact told me about a village hidden in the sea." Natsuki said.

"Curious… we should follow up on it." Itachi said.

"I know it sounds crazy but, I think we should- wait what?" Natsuki asked confused.

"We should look into it if that's all we have to go on; and it isn't as crazy as you think it sounds… it would explain how he vanished into the sea in the first place. His body would've been conditioned for that environment _and_ the fact that he could easily be outmanoeuvred." Itachi said.

"Wow, with such a crazy lead I thought for sure I'd have to do a lot more convincing." Natsuki added. "Where's Dairuko?"

Dairuko returned to Ayame's home to find that Jiraiya and Keiko weren't there anymore.

"Damn it." Dairuko said as he looked around, then he had a brilliant idea. "Senju genes save me again." Dairuko said and placed his hand on the ground and let the chakra flow before he found Keiko's chakra. "Got you."

Dairuko arrived on the training grounds where he found Jiraiya sitting on the grass watching Keiko play in the shallow end of the water in the stream.

"I know you're there, Dairuko." Jiraiya said with a knowing smile.

"Only because I _wanted_ you to know." Dairuko said as he sat down next to his father.

"Didn't trust me with your daughter?"

"It's you, sensei, you who told a thirteen year old kid to come back to see you when she's older. I always assume you have plans for girls."

"Oh, I do, but only when she's older… I will play a blind man, she will guide me around and I will accidentally brush some voluptuous breasts and for the main act, because I will be 'blind', and clumsy, she will walk me straight into the female baths and leave me because she has to do something else, and I will finally best the world. HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Jiraiya gave an evil laugh.

"You're a perverted genius, but you are not using my daughter for that." Dairuko said sternly.

"I had to try…" Jiraiya sighed. "Dairuko, do you know why I brought Keiko here?"

"Enlighten me."

"At one stage I figured I would bring my own child here to play in the water. Just watch them play."

"Well you did… in a sense."

"That was training, doesn't count."

"Yeah, well, we both didn't expect to become fathers so soon."

"Sounds like a family curse." Jiraiya joked.

"Possibly, but I don't think the day will ever come where I'll regret having Keiko."

"I know that feeling, son." Jiraiya smiled and looked at Dairuko.

"Enough with all of this guy love nonsense. I think Keiko could use a playmate." Dairuko said and was about to summon Genki when Jiraiya stopped him.

"I think she'll prefer toads rather than trees." Jiraiya said.

"What girl likes toads?"

"I know my granddaughter."

"You just met her."

"Doesn't matter." Jiraiya said and summoned a small toad.

"Jiraya-sama." The toad spoke.

"Hello, Nimura, do me favour and play with that little girl." Jiraiya pointed out Keiko and Dairuko summoned Genki and told him the same thing.

The two of them watched, waiting to see which one Keiko played with but she ended up playing with both summons.

"Call it a draw?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yup." Dairuko agreed and two of them sat and watched the latest generation in their family play with a humanoid tree and a talking toad.


	4. Village Hidden in the Sea: Part two

**Village Hidden in the Sea: Part 2**

Dairuko and Jiraiya sat watching Keiko play when Shizune arrived behind them.

"Jiraiya-sama, Dairuko-san; Tsunade-sama requests you both urgently in her office - immediately." Shizune said.

"Okay, we're on our way, let me just get Keiko to her mother." Dairuko said as he started to stand up.

"Jiraiya-sama, the two of us should go in the meantime." Shizune said and Jiraiya followed shortly after saying his goodbyes to his granddaughter before Dairuko carried Keiko away.

Jiraiya walked into Tsunade's office to find Natsuki and Itachi already there, along with another man with blue skin; in a purple robe that was form fitting and closed on top, but loose and open at the bottom.

"Sorry I'm late. What'd I miss?" Jiraiya asked.

"This is Tamura, he represents the Village Hidden in the Sea; and he comes to offer an apology and wants to form a peace treaty with us, on behalf of his king, after a rogue from his village attacked us a few days ago." Tsunade explained.

"What your Hokage-sama speaks is the truth. My king would like to avoid a war between us and the surface dwellers." Tamura said.

"And the three of you, along with Dairuko, are going to secure this treaty." Tsunade said.

"Hokage-sama, I was told to escort you as well." Tamura insisted.

"And I'm sending my most trusted team to make sure this treaty doesn't fail."

"After all, your people attacked us. So you must understand why we're so cautious." Natsuki explained.

"Hmm, I understand. I will explain the situation to my lord upon my return." Tamura said as Dairuko walked in.

"What I miss?" Dairuko asked, and then noticed Tamura. "Who's the blue guy?" Everyone sighed as Tsunade explained to Dairuko what was happening.

Team 0 stood with Tamura on the cliff where the attacker from Itachi's party had jumped off and Tamura handed them each what looked like a food pellet.

"What's this?" Natsuki asked.

"This will temporarily allow you to breathe underwater and withstand the pressure of the ocean." Tamura explained.

"Well, that's actually quite interesting." Jiraiya noted and took his pellet followed by everyone else including Tamura, who leapt off the cliff first.

"Ladies first." Dairuko said and Natsuki stuck her tongue out at him before diving into the water followed by Dairuko, Itachi and Jiraiya.

As they swam through the ocean they admired the different sea animals and wildlife. Dairuko thought about how seeing all these fish was making him hungry. Tamura led them to the village, which was huge with buildings that, if they were on the surface, would touch the sky; however, the village was surrounded by a dome in order to keep the sea's more dangerous creatures from attacking.

Tamura led them into a spherical room that was drained of water once they were inside and sent up a blast of warm air that even dried their clothes for them.

"Okay, if you guys become our allies, please build me one of those?" Dairuko asked.

"Make that two! It completely removes the need for towels." Natsuki added and Itachi and Jiraiya just laughed internally.

"Of course." Tamura said pleasantly.

Team 0 looked around at the villagers. All of them wore purple robes and had blue skin with bleached blonde hair.

"Tell me about your people." Jiraiya said as they walked through the village.

"Well, my people have been around for centuries; keeping to ourselves. There are those, however, who say we should rule the surface as well, due to our village being unreachable from the surface dwellers, but our king says it is best we keep to ourselves to ensure peace."

"Sound advice." Itachi said.

"Indeed. He is exceptionally wise, which is why he had me approach you as soon as possible, to let you know what happened was not an act of war."

"That was smart of him." Dairuko said. "But how did you guys get blue skin?"

"Our bodies adapted to the environment." Tamura said, then stopped in front of a building. "My lord awaits you inside."

"You kids wait here. I'll be right back." Jiraiya said and walked in with Tamura. Dairuko and Natsuki sat on the steps outside the building, but Itachi remained standing.

"What's wrong, Itachi?" Natsuki asked.

"Something isn't right here… there are too few people in this village, especially considering the size of this place." He said, looking up at the sprawling dome above them.

"I'll check it out." Dairuko said, then placed his hand on the ground and closed his eyes letting the chakra flow through him. "He's right. There aren't many chakra signatures here… uhm, scratch that, there is something huge -below us- its chakra is massive." Dairuko said and stood up.

"Why is there always something shady happening where ever we go?" Natsuki asked with a sigh.

"'Cause we have shit luck, that's why." Dairuko said.

"Maybe it's a sea monster." Natsuki joked.

"Don't say stuff like that." Dairuko said, spooked.

"Regardless of what it is, good catch for a blind guy, Itachi." Natsuki said.

"EH?!" Dairuko exclaimed.

"Thank you." Itachi said.

"You're blind?" Dairuko asked.

"For the most part, yes," Itachi said, then turned to Dairuko. "You are nothing but a blurry blob to me, but, while you were away I was trained to rely on more than just my sight."

"So, what, you can see without seeing?"

"Yes… if everything is quiet enough and I focus I can even hear the grass grow."

"Grass doesn't make a sound."

"How would you know if you don't listen?" Itachi stated.

"…Dick..." Dairuko said then flipped Itachi off.

"Put your finger down, Dairuko." Itachi said.

"I thought I was a blurry blob."

"I'm blind. That doesn't mean I don't know who you are, Dairuko."

"Itachi isn't the only one with new tricks, _baby brother_." Natsuki teased.

"Them is fightin' words." Dairuko replied.

"Yes they are, so do something about it."

"I sense a free for all on the surface." Dairuko smirked.

"We already know you are here, so come out and let's get this over with." Itachi said and a squadron of sea people wearing shell like armour, carrying jagged weapons such as swords, axes and spears appeared, surrounding Team 0.

"If you knew, then why'd you allow us to surround you?" One of them asked.

"Because… you **don't** have us surrounded." Natsuki said and Team 0 vanished from the centre of the group.

"We've surrounded **you**." Itachi said from behind them, where he and the other two members of Team 0 stood spread out.

"In short… you are all **so** fucked." Dairuko added with a smirk.

Jiraiya walked down the large hall of the king's castle.

' _If this were some kind of fiction, there'd be people hiding in the pillars waiting to ambush me.'_ Jiraiya gave an elicit chuckle.

"Is something the matter?" Tamura asked.

"Nope, I just thought of something funny." Jiraiya smiled and kept walking.

"This is King Zolomon." Tamura bowed, stepping aside and allowing Jiraiya to approach the king, who wore decorated shell-like armour with gold scales underneath.

"Welcome, Toad Sage Jiraiya." Zolomon greeted and reached for Jiraiya's hand.

"I see my reputation as a legend proceeds me." Jiraiya smiled. _'Gonna rub this in Tsunade's face when I get back… call my books nothing more than the perverted dreams of an old man._ ' Jiraiya thought when there was a sudden tremor, causing Jiraiya to look back at the large door he came in from.

As Jiraiya turned back to Zolomon to ask him what was going on, he was shot back by a water jutsu, into the middle of the hall where several guards emerged from the pillars.

"Kill him!" Zolomon ordered.

"So cliché." Jiraiya said and began fighting the guards.

The guards attacked Jiraiya all at once, but Jiraiya had his hair surround him, forming spikes to deflect and counter the guards' weapons before he spun around, pushing them back as well as returning his hair to normal.

"I'll sign autographs later please, but for now." Jiraiya said before performing hand-seals and shooting fireball at the guards.

A guard attempted to sneak attack Jiraiya from behind, but Jiraiya quickly turned around with a powerful kick, knocking the guard into his comrades then blew another fireball at them. Jiraiya grabbed one of their hooked swords and used it to block an oncoming attack while blocking another by using his sandal then, used the hook sword to launch the trapped sword into the nearest guard before using it to sweep the, now disarmed, guard off his feet then into the air.

"Rasengan!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he hit the guard into the ground.

Jiraiya then swung his hair around once more, knocking the guards back before doing a summoning jutsu that had toads appear above the guards. The toads used their weapons to pin the guards to the ground.

"Who's next then?" Jiraiya asked, then turned to Zolomon just as Tamura smashed the ground where Jiraiya was standing, but the Toad Sage dodged, seeing Tamura transform from his diplomat self to a hulking beast. "We can still talk this through." Jiraiya said before running to the side in an attempt to dodge Tamura's water chakram jutsu.

Jiraiya ran up the wall, avoiding the water projectiles before pumping more chakra into his legs giving him extra power as he leapt off the ceiling towards Tamura - who had formed a long water blade to slice Jiraiya - but he countered it with a Rasengan before landing and with a quick 360 turn. He hit Tamura with a second Rasengan, knocking him through the large door and straight into Dairuko, who caught Tamura and, with the momentum Tamura had, suplexed him into the ground.

"Hey, the old man is okay." Dairuko said upon seeing Jiraiya. "And still kickin' ass."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Jiraiya asked.

"How are all of you still alive?!" Zolomon screamed in disbelief.

"It's very simple. We kick ass for a living." Dairuko smirked and looked around at the bodies around his team.

"Our advice to you is to give up. There's no one left to help you." Natsuki said.

"Never! Fire the cannons on Konoha!" Zolomon ordered in a broadcast.

"Cannons? Under water?" Dairuko looked at Natsuki.

"Stop the cannons from destroying the village, I'll handle Zolomon." Jiraiya said and his students nodded before splitting up to take care of the cannons.

One of the shots from a cannon was about to hit a family of five when Tsunade appeared and shattered it into pieces.

"Get to safety!" Tsunade ordered the family.

Konoha was not ready for an attack of this calibre. The village was in disarray and the shinobi were stretched thin, getting people to safety, with medics tending to the wounded here and there. Neji and Hinata used their Air Palms as cannon fodder, to stop or slow the cannonballs enough to minimise the damage. Sakura, Lee, Guy, Choji, Choza, Kiba and his sister Hana –to name a few- all tried their best to destroy the numerous projectiles and reduce the destruction where they could, alongside Tsunade.

In all the disarray Tsunade looked towards the sea and said. "Hurry up and do something, Team 0."


	5. Village Hidden in the Sea: Part three

**Village Hidden in the Sea: Part 3**

Jiraiya launched a fireball at Zolomon, who made a water wall to block it.

"Why are you doing this, Zolomon?" Jiraiya asked. "No one was going to bother your people or your village."

"I do this **for** my people!" Zolomon exclaimed, before lunging at Jiraiya with a punch that Jiraiya jumped back to avoid.

"Then I have no choice but to put you down."Jiaiya said sternly, then caught Zolomon's punch and countered it with a punch to the latter's stomach, and then delivered a roundhouse kick, knocking Zolomon back.

"I'm no longer playing with you, Toad Sage!" Zolomon screamed, before breaking off his armour allowing his muscles to expand. "It's over!"

Zolomon instantly appeared in front of Jiraiya who tried to punch him, but Zolomon caught the punch and countered with a powerful body punch, then threw a left hook, knocking Jiraiya back but Jiraiya wasn't down for long. He attacked Zolomon as soon as he regained his footing. As Jiraiya reached Zolomon, he disappeared then reappeared behind him and, as Zolomon turned around, Jiraiya kicked him in the face and into a wall.

The two clashed again with Zolomon sweeping Jiraiya off his feet, then hitting Jiraiya in the stomach with a knee, but Jiraiya returned the favour mid-air, by grabbing Zolomon's knee and twisting his body so that, when he hit the ground, Zolomon will land face first as well. When they stood up, Jiraiya attacked Zolomon, but Zolomon dodged the punches before countering with an elbow to Jiraiya's stomach, followed by a punch then; the two continued going back and forth until Zolomon used a water jutsu to knock Jiraiya back.

Jiraiya wiped his mouth and looked at Zolomon then smirked to himself before standing up; Zolomon lunged forward with a punch that hit Jiraiya square in the face, but Jiraiya just stood there, unfazed, eliciting a shocked look from Zolomon.

"Surprised?" Jiraiya asked, and then punched Zolomon in the chest knocking him back. Zolomon then made a series water chakram in his hands and threw them one after the other, but Jiraiya dodged with little effort.

"How the hell are you so strong!?" Zolomon demanded, but Jiraiya just punched him the face before grabbing him by the hair, and pulled him into a straight punch.

"I'm no stronger than I was when this fight started… you're weaker."

"How? This is my strongest form!"

"Your body isn't used to it, so it was all a matter of waiting until the strain caught up to you."

"I won't let you interrupt my plans!" Zolomon exclaimed, before jumping towards his throne. He activated a hidden mechanism before Jiraiya could stop him.

"What'd you do?!" Jiraiya demanded and Zolomon smiled.

"I ensured the destruction of Konoha."

Team 0 all made their way to the last cannon, but Dairuko stopped them from destroying it.

"I'm heading back to Konoha to help out where I can." Dairuko said.

"Dairuko, I'm sure your family is okay." Itachi said.

"No… this was too easy. If something else is happenin', Konoha will need a heavy hitter like Dairuko, in case we can't stop it." Natsuki said.

"Besides, you guys're the power couple of Konoha; ain't nothin' you guys can't handle." Dairuko smirked then loaded himself in the cannon.

"Wait, what're you doing?" Natsuki asked.

"I'm taking the shortcut."

"Are you insane? It could kill you!"

"True, but what a way to go right?"

"Don't you even think about it, Dairuko!"

"When have I ever?" Dairuko smirked. "Loose!" he exclaimed, and fired himself from the cannon just as the centre of the village opened up.

"Well that can't be good." Itachi remarked as he and Natsuki – mouth agape- watched as a giant creature with an octopus-like head, rubbery-looking body and humanoid arms emerged, flying upward on its long, narrow wings.

"What **is** that thing?" Natsuki asked.

"I don't know, but it's big." Itachi answered.

"Very perceptive… for a blind guy." Natsuki joked, light-heartedly. "Now, how do we kill it?"

"We'll just have to hit it until it dies."

"Oh great, you sound like Dairuko now."

As Dairuko flew through the sea, and then sky, he saw an army of sea people heading towards the beach.

"Well, shit." Dairuko muttered to himself as he crash landed in Konoha.

Dairuko didn't bother trying to regain his composure before looking for Tsunade to warn her about the army. Luckily, he landed near her and she understood his incoherent-ness.

Tsunade wasted no time in forming a team of Jounin to hold the beach; consisting of Might Guy, Neji, a persistent Temari, Asuma, Kakashi, Dairuko and herself.

"You take the 500 on the left; I will take the 500 on the right." Guy strategized next to Dairuko.

"Fuck that, I'll take on 501." Dairuko replied.

"That's the spirit."

"Alright. No matter what, we hold this line!" Tsunade ordered as the army began emerging. "None of you are allowed to die or hold back!"

Dairuko cracked his knuckles with a smirk, Guy waited in anticipation, Kakashi closed his book, Asuma put out his cigarette, Temari pulled out her fan, Neji just stood there, quiet and ready, and Tsunade waited for the army to take the first step onto shore. When they did...

"NOW!" Tsunade ordered and Dairuko made wooden spikes emerge from the ground before flinging the bodies back to the sea.

"YOUTH!" Guy exclaimed as he charged in. "Dynamic Entry!" he said as he kicked one of them into five others, and then continued fighting them.

Several of them attacked Neji simultaneously but he simply took the Gentle Fist stance and activated his Byakugan. "Two palms…" he started, and ended with "Two thousand four hundred palms!" as all his assailants dropped to the floor. "You were destined to lose this fight the moment you chose Konoha as your opponent." Neji said.

Soldiers attacked Temari simultaneously with their swords and hooked weapons, but Temari smirked then spun her fan around causing a powerful wind to trap the soldiers in the air.

"Tornado Drop!" Temari exclaimed, as she moved her fan to make the soldiers slam into the ground before she took a step back and swung her fan again. "Summoning Blade Dance!" then a tornado of blades and wind tore through the soldiers that were caught in it. "Too easy."

Asuma shattered one of their jaws with a punch before kicking one above him, then unleashed a flurry of punches, then jumped up and punched the soldier into the ground. Asuma grabbed another threw them onto the ground so hard that they bounced and, mid bounce, he connected with a powerful straight punch.

Kakashi whipped out his book again and continued reading. When one of the soldiers attacked him, he used the Hidden Mist jutsu and disappeared into the mist before running pass all the soldiers and slitting their throats with ease. Kakashi used Head Hunter jutsu to trap one of them before crouching down to their level.

"You now face Death!" Kakashi said evilly as he revealed his Sharingan and placed the soldier under genjutsu; then he laughed as he covered his Sharingan again. "I still got it."

As Kakashi laughed, another soldier came from behind him to attack, but Kakashi dodged at the last second and ended up behind the soldier, crouched down.

"A Thousand Years of Death!" Kakashi exclaimed and the soldier was launched sky high, then Kakashi looked on in horror as he found his book lying, cut in half on the ground. "NOOO!" Kakashi exclaimed with tears running down his face. "Now I'm serious." Kakashi said coldly as he showed his Sharingan. "Lightning Blade!"

Kakashi charged in to the still, oncoming, army with lightning in both his hands, impaling first one soldier, then another before dodging an attack by disappearing into the ground and delivering an uppercut to a different soldier, launching him into the air then grabbing his leg and throwing him into his partner.

"My Eternal Rival has upped his level! Well, so will I!" Guy exclaimed then jumped into the air, doing a corkscrew diving kick into a group of them. "I will show you all what it means to be hot-blooded!" Guy kicked one of the soldiers away, and then gut punched another before doing a backflip kick over him.

Guy ran into a group of them and in an instant appeared behind them, giving Kakashi thumbs up as everyone behind him just dropped.

Dairuko punched the ground at an angle sending a shockwave into the soldiers, knocking them into the air after which he had a wooden branch reach for them and break apart to grab each one before slamming the soldiers on the ground like rag dolls, before flinging them into a cliff.

Tsunade wasn't fooling around as she knocked every soldier into the ground or each other. One of them tried to punch her, but she sidestepped before punching him in the stomach then she jumped over a group of them, kicking a few as she landed. Six of them then attacked her at once, but Tsunade blocked all of them and held them in place with a smile before throwing them aside and jumping to another group.

"Heaven Kick of Pain!" Tsunade exclaimed.

As one of the soldiers stood up after recovering from the ground shattering kick, Tsunade appeared in front of him and delivered an axe kick straight to the back of his head.

Natsuki and Itachi jumped to another building to avoid the sea creature's attack.

"Any ideas, Natsuki?" Itachi asked.

"You could go S'usanoo on him." Natsuki suggested as the creature tried to smash them again.

"Natsuki, synchronise!" Itachi exclaimed and they went in opposite directions, avoiding the attacks. Once they were on either side of the creature, they chanted;

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"  
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

in unison. The combined jutsu hit the creature but it didn't flinch and proceeded to attack Itachi. Natsuki used this moment to form a Chidori spear and cut off the creature's index finger.

"Ha! You felt that one!" Natsuki exclaimed and the creature turned to her. "And I got your attention… not sure I wanted **that** to happen." Natsuki squeaked and the creature reared its head back, then Itachi showed up in front of Natsuki.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!" Itachi exclaimed, as the creature spewed a large amount of water that Itachi's fire managed to block, causing a large amount of steam that blocked everyone's sight.

While the creature tried to find Itachi and Natsuki, Itachi's perfect S'usanoo grabbed the creature by the throat and Natsuki ran along its arm and jumped over the creature's head, then used her Chidori to cut off its wings before Itachi's S'usanoo caught her.

"Let's finish this, Itachi." Natsuki called and Itachi nodded but, before he could use his sword, the S'usanoo began deconstructing and fell to its knees just as the creature did a vacuum-like attack that sucked in everything that it could, including Natsuki. Itachi held on to the S'usanoo as tight as he could but his S'usanoo's hand disappeared and Natsuki was sucked in.

"What have you done?!" Jiraiya demanded as he held Zolomon against the wall.

"I ensured my people's safety." Zolomon said.

"What are you talking about? Your village is being destroyed by that creature!"

"Unless I kill the Hokage, my people will be killed by _those_ men."

"What men?"

"It doesn't matter now, you can't stop them, no one can!" Zolomon exclaimed and broke free from Jiraiya's grip, but Jiraiya wasted no time in hitting Zolomon with a Rasengan to the chest.

Zolomon lay on the ground, coughing blood after being hit point blank with the Rasengan in a weakened state, and Jiraiya crouched down next to him.

"Please… save my people, Toad Sage." Zolomon said and died. Jiraiya looked toward the throne and saw a gold chalice filled with the pellets they had taken before jumping into the sea earlier.

"I might need those." Jiraiya said, then took four of the pellets and walked towards a hole in the wall, where he saw Itachi's S'usanoo fading in the distance.

Itachi's S'usanoo was fading fast, but the creature wasn't finishing him off. He saw it jerk forward suddenly and, after a second, it jerked forward again, then he saw a blue light that cut through the creature's stomach and Natsuki jumped out, covered in slime, but alive, and Itachi used this moment to stab the creature through the head and seal it into the container his S'usanoo carried.

"That was just… ugh…" Natsuki made a gagging face and Itachi's S'usanoo finally faded and he lay down, barely able to move, just as Jiraiya arrived with the pellets.

"Natsuki, I- gross, you stink!" Jiraiya said and covered his mouth.

"Shut up!" Natsuki exclaimed, embarrassed. "Get Itachi, we need to go now, before this dome fully breaks."

"Here, take a pellet. I'm not sure how long these things last, but I think the ones we took earlier have expired." Jiraiya threw a pellet to Natsuki before feeding one to Itachi. "Where's Dairuko?"

"He shot himself out of a cannon to return to Konoha." Natsuki answered then took her pellet. "Hold on to Itachi and don't you dare let him go… this is where the fun begins." Natsuki said, before firing a Chidori spear through the dome, fracturing it and causing the dome to break and water to gush in, sweeping the three of them into the ocean where Natsuki and Jiraiya- who was carrying Itachi- began swimming back to the surface.

"Time to settle the score, Dairuko." Tsunade said and both she Dairuko punched the ground, knocking all the remaining soldiers into the air. Temari then used her fan to launch them higher into the air, where Neji waited, standing in the middle of the group atop a branch Dairuko had made a second ago; then Asuma and Kakashi both jumped to Neji's level and blew fireballs at Neji while he performed his Palm Rotation, sending out smaller fireballs all over the place. Once the survivors started to stand up, Guy opened the third gate before running towards them.

"Super Dynamic Entry!" Guy exclaimed, his kick enhanced by chakra which sent shockwaves out of each rotation with the strength of a normal Dynamic Entry - which defeated the remaining soldiers.

"Well that was fun." Tsunade said casually.

"Maybe for you, but I've had enough of fighting foot soldiers." Dairuko said.

"I gotta say; you two are very capable jounin." Asuma complimented Neji and Temari, while Kakashi just looked sadly at his book.

Natsuki and Jiraiya emerged on the shore with Jiraiya carrying Itachi's, now, unconscious body.

"Hey is Itachi alr- what's that smell?" Dairuko asked as he covered his mouth and nose. "Smells like rotten fish mixed with normal fish."

"SHUT UP!" Natsuki exclaimed, her face as red as a tomato. Itachi coughed out blood, snapping everyone back to attention. Tsunade was the first one to reach him, followed by Natsuki who was stopped by Tsunade.

"Dairuko, get Itachi to the hospital ASAP." Tsunade ordered and Dairuko, without asking questions, picked Itachi up, and then used all his strength to race back to Konoha. "Natsuki, go shower; Jiraiya get Kakashi another one of your perverted books; Temari go back to Suna and the rest of you, clean up this mess." Tsunade then headed back to Konoha herself.

"Why me?" Neji muttered to himself as he, Kakashi, Guy and Asuma started disposing of the dead bodies. Nobody noticed as Natsuki sealed a body in a scroll.

"Good luck guys." Natsuki winked, and then left them.

Natsuki walked into the basement of her house, making sure everywhere was locked so that no one disturbed her. When she was done, she placed the scroll on the table and began drawing symbols around the scroll, then released the body from the scroll.

"Let's get this over with." Natsuki said to herself as she performed a series of hand-seals. "Kin Jutsu: Corpse Awakening." She said and the symbols began to cover the soldier's body. In the next instant, he awoke.

"What the-" The soldier started, but was interrupted by Natsuki.

"Shut up." Natsuki said and soldier stopped talking. "Now then, you will sit there and answer my questions; nod if you understand what I just said." The soldier nodded. "Why did your people attack Konoha?"

"King Zolomon ordered us to kill the Hokage in order to bring our families back."

"Who took your families?"

"A man. I don't know his name."

"Did this man work for Hoka?"

"I do not know who the Hoka are."

"Did the man who took your family have a flame emblem anywhere on his body?"

"Yes, on his sleeve."

"How did he take your people out?"

"Shadow men appeared from the ground. They… they grabbed my family and pulled them into the ground."

"Interesting… thanks; now die." Natsuki said and the soldier just fell back on the table and disintegrated. "Shadow men… if these shadow men are what I think they are, then my attempts to avoid the Mist will be for nothing."

"In all my years I never thought I'd see you go down the road of raising the dead, Natsuki." Jiraiya said softly from behind Natsuki, causing her to turn around quickly in alarm.

"Sensei! How did you- why are you here?

" _Why_ isn't important. Where'd you learn that technique?"

 _Meanwhile_

Itachi woke up in the hospital. Dairuko and Tsunade were conversing in the corner near the closed door, but he couldn't quite hear them so he looked out the window instead, and saw a crow standing there, watching him, before flying off.

"Yo, Itachi, glad you're awake. It was touch and go for a while there but, kaa-san says you must've had an allergic reaction to the pellets we took to get to the village." Dairuko said, after seeing Tsunade out.

"That must be it then." Itachi said, as he turned to Dairuko.

"Funny thing is, Tsunade didn't know about the pellets. I suppose she wasn't at liberty to tell me what was really going on…"

"You're going to blackmail me now, aren't you?"

"In a sense… Just tell me what's wrong. I mean, we're friends, right?" Dairuko asked. "And if you don't tell me, I'll just go asking around. Starting with Natsuki, then-"

"Don't get your sister involved! Or anyone else for that matter."

"Why?"

"I'm dying." Itachi said.


	6. Village Hidden in the Sea:The Conclusion

**Village Hidden in the Sea: Conclusion**

"I'm dying." Itachi said, and silence fell before Dairuko burst out laughing.

"Yeah right! Now tell me about the one with the bird; or better yet, tell me what's actually wrong with you?"

"He isn't joking, Dairuko." Tsunade said, stepping back into the room with Itachi's medicine. "I've been treating him." There was a long pause, and Tsunade left, deciding it was best that Dairuko and Itachi talk about this -alone.

"Hold up one fucking minute here. Itachi is dying and only my mother knows about it?"

"That's about it."

"When did this start?"

"I began coughing blood after our fight with the Seven Tails in the Waterfall Village. Once we got back, I had Tsunade-sama give me a check-up and she told me."

"And you didn't think to tell us?!"

"Tsunade-sama created medicine for me, which has slowed the disease down drastically but, every time I use a lot of chakra – my sharingan, for instance- my condition worsens much faster. The medicine can only do so much… eventually it will get to the point where I will require daily treatment."

"That explains _how_ but… why didn't you tell us? Maybe we could've helped."

"And that is exactly why I didn't tell either of you." Itachi said coldly. "There are just some things you can't change no matter how much you want to."

"You fucking bastard, Uchiha!" Dairuko exclaimed grabbing Itachi by the throat with his fist, ready to punch his friend. "So you were just going to lie down and die like some coward!"

"Accepting ones fate does not make you a coward, Dairuko." Itachi said tonelessly, and after a few intense seconds Dairuko released Itachi and walked toward the door, stopping with his fist curled around the handle.

"I thought we were friends, Itachi." Dairuko said softly, almost tenderly.

"I always considered us friends, Dairuko." Itachi said.

"Friends don't keep this kinda stuff from their best friends… and Natsuki has a right to know about this. I intend to tell her."

"So be it." Itachi said after a short pause, and Dairuko left the room. Tsunade walked back in soon afterwards.

"You're not telling them that there is a cure?" Tsunade asked.

"No; I won't put them through that… I wouldn't put my worst enemy through that."

"I'm just going to have to trust your judgement then, Itachi."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama… how long will it take you to make more medicine?"

"Depends on the amount, why?"

"I'll need several bottles for my coming journey."

"What journey?"

"I believe someone has plans to kill me."

Dairuko headed straight to Natsuki's and saw her and Jiraiya leaving her house. She looked up as Dairuko approached them.

"Dairuko, how's Itachi doing?" Natsuki asked and Dairuko hesitated –suddenly unsure how to answer.

"He's asleep now; the meds Tsunade gave him knocked him out like a light." Dairuko lied.

"So… what happened?"

"He… had an allergic reaction to those pellets; he swelled up like one of those puffer fish." Dairuko said then demonstrated by swelling up his cheeks. "Where you guys heading?"

"While fighting the king under water, he shed some light on why he attacked Konoha." Jiraiya answered. "Some shadow men appeared and dragged many families into the ground."

"Shadow men you say?" Dairuko asked.

"Yes." Natsuki said.

"You guys're going to ask Kuroka questions aren't you?"

"Yep."

"Good start, but she can't make that many clones at once, however… her brother can."

"She has a brother?" Natsuki asked.

"Yeah… up til' a few seconds ago, I was convinced he was dead."

"You don't sound surprised."

"Nowadays it's hard for people to stay dead." Dairuko shrugged, and then walked away. "Good luck, you guys… I have stuff to do." He called over his shoulder.

"Well I guess he isn't joining us." Jiraiya said.

"Looks that way. We better head out now before it's too late." Natsuki said, and the two walked away.

Natsuki and Jiraiya arrived in the Hidden Mist village after a few days of easy travelling; each occupied with their own thoughts.

"Natsuki, let me do the talking." Jiraiya said when they arrived, and walked into the village common while Natsuki just stepped into a shadowy alleyway where a hooded man waited.

"My, my you can really pick your company, Natsuki." The hooded figure said, adjusting his glasses.

"Kabuto, what d'you know about the villagers?" Natsuki asked.

"No _'sorry for impaling you, Kabuto'_ or _'thank you for agreeing to help me and Ren by putting your life on the line by joining the Hoka and spying on them, Kabuto'_ but that's alright..." Kabuto shrugged.

"Quit complainin'. You knew the risks."

"Of course." Kabuto said and handed Natsuki a note. "There can be no survivors, Natsuki."

"Yeah… I know." Natsuki said, taking the note. She and Kabuto parted ways. Natsuki walked out of the alleyway, only to be stopped by Kuroka.

"I want in on your mission." Kuroka said.

' _Damn you Dairuko.'_ Natsuki thought. "What are you talking about, Kuroka?"

"Dairuko sent Valiant ahead of you explaining what you and that old man are doing here."

"I appreciate it, but we don't need your help." Natsuki said, inwardly cursing the bird that Dairuko and Kuroka used for personal messages.

"Ah, yes, you don't need me because you have this note." Kuroka said, holding the note Natsuki once held.

"Give me the note." Natsuki said, her expression stony.

"Bring me along and you can have the note."

"Kuroka, I'm not my brother or Itachi, I don't have time for your games." Natsuki said. "Why do you want join us anyway?"

"I want to talk to my brother… maybe talk some sense into him; surely you can understand that, Natsuki."

"And what if Kuroko doesn't want to come back with you? Can you honestly say you will be able to put him down?" Jiraiya asked as he appeared.

"I…" Kuroka trailed off.

"That's what I thought; please stay out of this… for your own sake." Jiraiya said.

"How do you always just show up in the middle of conversations?" Natsuki asked.

"It's my power to always show up." Jiraiya smiled.

"Kuroka, I've had to fight Dairuko with the possibility of being forced to kill him and, despite our differences, I wouldn't wish that on you." Natsuki said sincerely.

"I swear if you weren't… well, **you** , we could've been friends." Kuroka said.

"Aw, are you guys actually bonding?" Jiraiya asked.

"Shut up."  
"Shut up." They both said to Jiraiya, before looking at each other again.

"If you weren't who **you** are, and obsessed with sleeping with my boyfriend, we _could've_ been friends, Kuroka." The two looked at each other and Kuroka handed Natsuki the note from Kabuto.

"So… she already had the information waiting about her brother's location because Dairuko sent word ahead of us?" Jiraiya asked, as they left the Mist behind them.

"Yeah; it seems Kuroko wasn't trying very hard to hide."

"Oh well, then that's lucky for us, isn't it." Jiraiya said.

The two of them continued walking towards Kuroko's lair to safely rescue the villagers, but Jiraiya couldn't get his mind off the jutsu Natsuki had used. The jutsu in question allowed the user to reanimate a body for five minutes with its memories intact, while remaining completely cooperative to whoever cast the jutsu. It was this jutsu that was responsible for the formation of the hunter-nin, who disposed of missing-nin bodies before the enemy could use the Corpse Awakening kinjutsu, and take whatever information they needed.

"Natsuki, we need to talk." Jiraiya stopped walking, unable to remain silent any longer. "Who taught you that jutsu?"

"Doesn't matter."

"It does to me, Natsuki." Jiraiya said sternly, not surprised that she knew exactly which jutsu he was talking about. "I never taught any of you that jutsu."

"Anyone in any village could've taught me. I mean, you weren't with us 24/7 during our training."

"Natsuki, you are the smartest one of the team; why would you resort to such a jutsu?"

"Because if I didn't, we'd have wasted time investigating instead of heading to save these villagers now." She snapped.

"You would've found another way, Natsuki, you always do."

"What does it even matter? The end result is the same."

"It matters because I don't want you to end up like Orochimaru!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "You are just as intelligent, if not more, and I don't want you to walk down that same path as he did."

"Why would you even think that?"

"I've seen people with talent, skill and intelligence cross the line just once and never come back; I trained all three of you to be better than that."

"If you think I'm that easily corrupted then you clearly don't know anything about me!" Natsuki exclaimed out of frustration. "You know what? We have villagers to save." Natsuki said darkly, then walked away from Jiraiya. Her mind went back to her fight with Itachi, before Dairuko returned to the village, where he had also called her out on how different she was acting. She growled softly and picked up her pace.

Within a few hours Natsuki and Jiraiya reached Kuroko's location, where Jiraiya used his telescope to scout the area while Natsuki planned their next move.

"I see two shinobi." Jiraiya stated.

"Only two?" Natsuki asked, then pulled out the info cards Kabuto had given her. Inside the note were three different shinobi, one of which was Kuroko. "Let me see." Natsuki said, then looked through the telescope while Jiraiya pulled out binoculars. "How many peeping tools do you have?"

"A good researcher always has back-up equipment."

"There were supposed to be three of them."

"Maybe the third one is inside with the villagers."

"Possibly..."

"Or maybe he's standing right behind you." A deep, male voice said from behind both Natsuki and Jiraiya, who both turned to punch the stranger but he grabbed them by their faces, taking both punches and not even flinching slightly. He then threw both Jiraiya and Natsuki off their vantage point, to his partners.

As Natsuki and Jiraiya got back to their feet, they got a good look at their attacker who physically put Dairuko to shame; being both taller and more muscular. He had dark brown hair, no shirt but still wore a flak jacket with grey pants. He was barefoot, and his forearms and hands were made of stone. His partners then showed up. Kuroko wore a black, hooded cloak which hid his face and covered his body, but his black pants and shoes were visible; and the third shinobi wore traditional ninja clothes.

"Drojin, it seems that snake's information was correct." Kuroko said, holding two info cards with pictures of Natsuki and Jiraiya on each.

"Kabuto…" Natsuki muttered as she gritted her teeth.

"So it seems… how long do you think we can play with these two, Ryuhei?" Drojin asked the third shinobi.

"Seven minutes at most." Ryuhei answered.

"Natsuki, I hope you have a plan B." Jiraiya whispered.

"I didn't even have a plan _**A**_ yet." Natsuki whispered back.

"That's just swell…"

"If no one's going to make the first move, I will." Kuroko said and both Natsuki and Jiraiya readied themselves when a shadow figure of Kuroko appeared behind Natsuki, grabbing her and driving its knee into her back.

"Natsuki!" Jiraiya exclaimed, ready to help her, but a kunai exploded in front of him, forcing him jump away from the explosion and Natsuki.

"Jiraiya-sennin, your fight is with us." Ryuhei said, as Drojin charged towards Jiraiya.

Natsuki barely had time to recover from the knee to her back before another shadow figure punched her in the face. Then the figure behind her kicked the back of her knee, dropping her onto one knee, followed by both of the figures kicking the sides of her head before letting her hit the ground. Natsuki struggled to lift herself up, but as she did, a fist came from the ground and hit her with an uppercut into the air. Before she hit the ground, two more figures caught her by the arms and legs and then stretched her out as the real Kuroko jumped into the air and stomped on Natsuki's stomach and chest, knocking the air out of her lungs.

"You never stood a chance against us, Natsuki." Kuroko said as Natsuki desperately gasped for air. "I honestly thought you'd last longer than this though." Kuroko then straddled her and sat on her chest, wrapped his hands firmly around her throat and started to choke her.

Jiraiya was not doing any better against Drojin and Ryuhei as Drojin kept pressing the attack on Jiraiya and, whenever Jiraiya did get some space, Ryuhei kept throwing kunai at him before he could capitalise on any opening. Jiraiya decided he was going to go for Ryuhei instead of focusing on Drojin so, as Drojin tried to punch Jiraiya, the latter ducked under it and tried to sweep Drojin's legs, but his legs merged with the ground stopping Jiraiya's sweep. He then grabbed Jiraiya off the floor and with giant stone fists, punched Jiraiya in the chest, knocking him away where Ryuhei was waiting, ready to stab Jiraiya but the latter caught himself in time to ready a Rasengan and dodge the sword. His arm was cut in the process, but he was within range to use his Rasengan.

Ryuhei analysed Jiraiya's movements and in a swift movement side stepped the Rasengan, bent Jiraiya's arm in such a way that Jiraiya was hit with his own Rasengan and was sent sailing across the floor into rocks that Drojin summoned. Drojin emerged from the ground before Jiraiya then, and formed stone restraints that trapped Jiraiya to the ground while Drojin just beat on him again and again until Jiraiya was unconscious.

Natsuki was starting to fade, but she bit down on her lip until she drew blood, which gave her somewhat of a second wind and allowed her to overpower Kuroko and hit him with a head-butt, knocking him off her and giving her a much needed second to catch her breath. Natsuki quickly shot a Chidori Spear towards Drojin, who dodged out of the way and Natsuki travelled through the lightning in the justu to reach Jiraiya and free him.

"Now this is exciting." Drojin said. "Transmutation jutsu: Gold." Drojin said and everywhere that was stone on his body was now golden.

"Oh shit…" Natsuki said, blood dripping from her chin.

"It's over." Kuroko said.

"Not today, Kuroko." Dairuko said as he arrived with his new team; Kiba, Shino and Hinata.

"Dairuko." Natsuki said, surprised.

"Bastard!" Kuroko exclaimed at seeing Dairuko.

"Sorry I'm late, I just had to finalise some paperwork and blah blah." Dairuko smirked. "Okay, new Team Dairuko, move out!"

"Hai, sensei!" the three chunin exclaimed and quickly circled Jiraiya.

Dairuko quickly tackled Drojin through a wooden barrier he created, but Drojin slammed his fist into Dairuko's back, dropping Dairuko to his knee, then connected a knee to Dairuko's jaw that launched the young Senju into the air. He then made a stone spike appear below Dairuko, ready to impale him however, Dairuko did a backflip in mid-air to orientate himself with the ground, allowing him to avoid the stone spike.

"Okay, I have to admit that that is a neat trick; but it got nothing on me." Dairuko said. "Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!" Large branches of wood emerged from the ground, surrounding everyone in forestation.

"What kind of genjutsu is this?!" Drojin demanded.

"No genjutsu, my ugly friend. I just wanted to bring the odds back in our favour." Dairuko smirked.

Under the cover of the forest, Team 8 moved, easily carrying Jiraiya without being found thanks to Dairuko's remodelling of his Deep Forest Emergence after the Forest of Death from the chuunin exams and, with each of his new team having some of the best surveillance techniques in Konoha, they had the advantage.

"Guys, we need to stop." Kiba said after Akamaru barked.

"I don't see anything, Kiba-kun." Hinata said.

"It's not that. There's somebody nearby. Akamaru smells something off about Jiraiya-sama." Hinata then looked at Jiraiya with her Byakugan and saw what was wrong.

"Jiraiya-sama has been poisoned; the poison is using his own chakra to strengthen its potency." Hinata said.

"Where is the poison resonating from?" Shino asked and Hinata pointed at the cut Jiraiya had on his arm. "Hmm." Shino then placed his hand over Jiraiya's cut, allowing his bugs to enter Jiraiya's body. "Hinata, heal the wound so my bugs can eat the poison." Hinata nodded and started healing Jiraiya's wounds.

"Do you really think a change of scenery will change the outcome of our fight?" Kuroko asked as he searched for Natsuki, who had disappeared once the forest was complete.

"That depends. Can your shadows find me if you can't?" Natsuki answered.

"This is a childish game you're playing!"

"I'm not playing games." Natsuki said as she stood behind Kuroko.

"Good." Kuroko said whirling around and throwing several shuriken at Natsuki.

"Hidden Mist jutsu!" she said and, before the shuriken could hit her, disappeared again. "Now we fight one on one. No more tricks." Kuroko was about to respond when Natsuki sucker punched him in the jaw.

"Fine, if you want to play it that way." Kuroko said and returned with a punch of his own that knocked Natsuki back.

Dairuko and Drojin both punched each other, knocking the other back across the ground. They both stood back up, caught off guard by the other's strength. They stared each other down before charging towards one another but, this time, they both tried to ram each other, which ended with Dairuko falling back and Drojin stumbling.

' _What did they feed this guy?'_ Dairuko thought as he stood back up.

Drojin charged forward with a left punch that Dairuko dodged, followed by a right and another left all of which Dairuko managed to sidestep before hitting Drojin in the stomach with his knee. He then grabbed Drojin's arm and pushed him away. Dairuko used the space he created to jump up and hit Drojin in the jaw with his knee, before grabbing a handful of Drojin's hair and pulling him into several left handed punches, but Drojin managed to grab Dairuko's arm and remove Dairuko's hand from his hair.

While holding onto Dairuko's arm, Drojin formed a Morningstar in his right hand, ready to bring it down on Dairuko but the latter broke free. This didn't stop Drojin as he still swung his Morningstar down on Dairuko, who managed to catch it. Drojin's gold form added more weight to his swing as well as his strength, which made his attacks slow, but powerful. Dairuko figured this out as he powered through and pushed Drojin away again.

Dairuko walked towards Drojin and the latter let out a scream of rage as he attacked Dairuko but again, Dairuko dodged by doing a back-step and, at such a close range, he put his sort-of plan into action.

"Fire Style: Fireball jutsu." Dairuko said as he blew a fireball, practically point blank range, at Drojin- who managed to form a shield. As the smoke cleared, Drojin saw Dairuko running at him. Drojin didn't have time to react as Dairuko unloaded with a series of punches, followed by a rising uppercut that launched Drojin into the air before he came crashing down.

Dairuko looked at the downed Drojin from the small distance between them when Drojin clenched his fists, and then stood up and smashed the ground, sending a shockwave of sand towards Dairuko. Dairuko managed to shield his eyes, but as Dairuko lowered his arm, he was hit by a rock that knocked him back. He looked on to see Drojin forming another rock from the pieces of ground he broke when he smashed it, Drojin shot the second rock at Dairuko who shattered the rock with a punch before it could hit him.

Dairuko charged at Drojin before he could form another rock, but Drojin pulled his hand back and a rock came from behind Dairuko hitting him in the back and knocking him off his feet. Before he could hit the ground, Drojin tackled him then slammed Dairuko into the ground. Drojin was on top of Dairuko using the extra weight of gold to keep him in place and just kept punching Dairuko in the face over again, then began choking Dairuko once Drojin thought he was too weak to fight back, but Dairuko managed to grab a handful of sand and throw it in Drojin's eyes, forcing Drojin off Dairuko.

The sand that Dairuko threw in Drojin's eyes didn't last very long as a distraction. Dairuko tried to sit up, but Drojin grabbed Dairuko's face then slammed him into the ground, Dairuko weakly tried to punch Drojin's hand away but all this did was show Drojin that he still had some fight left.

"Your struggle…" Drojin exclaimed and slammed Dairuko's head into the ground again. "… is in…" Drojin smashed Dairuko's head again, "… vain!" and again.

After the third slam, Dairuko stopped moving, but Drojin didn't stop. Instead, he grabbed Dairuko by the leg and started smashing him side to side like a rag doll.

"I'm surprised you're still breathing. Most people would be dead long before now." Drojin said as he noticed Dairuko was still breathing then slammed his face into the ground again and was ready to punch Dairuko again when suddenly; Dairuko kicked Drojin off him and through several trees before the latter crash landed elsewhere.

"You… talk too much." Dairuko panted, out of breath, before taking off his flak jacket and taking a running position.

As Dairuko took running his position, black lines began appearing all over his body and his muscles grew slightly bigger, then he took off and a few seconds later the sand lifted. Drojin was still getting up when Dairuko slammed his face into the ground and ran, letting Drojin's face grind against the ground before stopping and just watching as Drojin slid across the ground.

A still groggy Drojin tried to get up but Dairuko quickly punched him back to the ground and continued to rain down punch after punch on Drojin, who was helpless to fight back at this point. When Dairuko was done punching Drojin he grabbed him by the arm and spun him round and round, before throwing him straight up into the air, and Dairuko pumped chakra into his legs before jumping into the air after Drojin, grabbing him in a pile-driver position.

"Tombstone Burial!" Dairuko exclaimed, as he and Drojin hit the ground, sending a massive shockwave throughout the forest. Drojin crawled out of the crater, followed by Dairuko, who let out a sigh of relief as his body returned to its normal state. "Well… that was a successful field test." Dairuko said to himself as he walked towards Drojin- who was still struggling to crawl out of the crater.

"W-what is your name?" Drojin asked, struggling to breathe.

"Senju Dairuko."

"Senju Dairuko, despite fate pitting us against each other as enemies… will you honour a dying man's request and hear my story?" Drojin asked and Dairuko hesitantly went on one knee to listen to Drojin. "I thank you, Senju Dairuko. I wasn't always like this. I was a simple blacksmith in a small village. My unique abilities kept the currency in my village flowing, until _**they**_ came to my village. They challenged me and, upon my defeat, took me away from my family."

"Who are they?"

"They call themselves Hoka. They forced me to work for them… threatened to kill my family if I didn't join them. So I joined; I committed so many sickening acts I couldn't stand the sight of myself, but I fought in the hopes of meeting someone stronger than myself who could protect my son Atsushi…" Drojin showed Dairuko a picture of a young boy "Please, Senju Dairuko, protect my son where I failed." Dairuko took the picture from Drojin.

"I will try my best…"

"Drojin… my name is Drojin."

"I'm sorry it came to this, Drojin… I'm a father too." Dairuko said sincerely, when black seal symbols began to spread across Drojin's body, and he started thrashing around.

"Senju Dairuko, kill me before the seal completes and kills us both!" Drojin growled through the pain.

"Drojin, what's going on?" Dairuko asked, stepping back.

"The bastards placed a j-jutsu on those of us who wouldn't j-join willingly. If… If we were ever defeated… it would activate and wipe both us and our opponent… out." Drojin panted haltingly, then "Please." Dairuko caved in Drojin's chest before the seal could be completed.

Hinata and Ryuhei engaged each other in taijutsu; both were equally fast. Ryuhei already knew about the Gentle Fist fighting style. He was surprised at how aggressive Hinata's fighting was and he cursed himself for allowing the shockwave to reveal his presence to these kids.

"Whoa… is that really our Hinata?" Kiba asked as he watched Hinata fight on a whole different level than he'd seen her fight before.

"Hinata is no longer fighting like she has to prove something; she's fighting like a true warrior." Shino said and despite his monotonous tone, he was smiling.

Hinata stayed on the attack while Ryuhei focused on defence, until he saw that Hinata left her side open, and Ryuhei attempted to kick her but Hinata hooked her arm around it, leaving Ryuhei open as she kicked Ryuhei between the legs. Ryuhei was struggling to his feet when Hinata stepped up to him and, when he looked up again, she kicked him square in the face with enough force that it launched him into the air a bit.

"Double Air Palm!" Hinata exclaimed as the air wave knocked Ryuhei back. "Stay down."

"Not a chance…" Ryuhei said as he stood up. "I just cracked your code."

Hinata was a bit shocked, but she attacked Ryuhei regardless. Ryuhei expected this and caught Hinata's punch, then twisted her arm before pushing her forward and kicking Hinata in the back. Hinata turned around and tried to punch him, but Ryuhei kicked it away countering with a series of kicks to Hinata's sides followed by a kick to her chin, then Hinata instantly countered with her own cartwheel kick that brought Ryuhei to his knee.

"Kiba, it's almost time." Shino said.

"Right. Get ready, Akamaru." Kiba said.

Ryuhei tried to uppercut Hinata who dodged in such a way that it looked like she was knocked into the air, except she two-footed Ryuhei and while he recovered, Kiba made his move.

"Gatsuga!"

Kiba and Akamaru came at Ryuhei, who quickly got on his back and kicked upwards burying his foot into Akamaru's ribs, knocking the dog off course and into a tree.

"Akamaru!" Kiba called out, then attacked Ryuhei himself.

"I've killed plenty of your clan before now to know how you and your mutts fight." Ryuhei taunted, as he blocked all of Kiba's attacks with one hand but he got arrogant and Kiba managed to scratch Ryuhei across his chest forcing him to jump back.

' _It's time.'_ Shino thought to himself as he sent out his bugs that ate away at Ryuhei, but Ryuhei quickly tore off his mask and clothes, revealing that _he_ was actually a _she_ and she wore bandages around her chest and black tights; she also had short two-tone blondish brown hair.

"Whoa, he's a she?" Kiba asked.

"That was a good plan but it'll take more than bugs to defeat me." Ryuhei said.

"Our plan was to distract you." Shino said.

"Giant Rasengan!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he appeared from behind Ryuhei and hit her with a Rasengan that, on contact, grew into a giant blue ball that launched Ryuhei through several trees. "And that's me out of this fight." Jiraiya said and sat back down - exhausted.

"Do not worry; once the bugs have eaten what chakra you have left the poison will no longer be a problem." Shino said.

"So, what about the bugs in my system, what will happen to them?"

"They will pass through your body in a week's time."

"Eh?! What do you mean ' _pass through'_ my body?" Jiraiya asked and Shino remained quiet. "Oh that's just swell." Jiraiya said sarcastically.

Kuroko jumped into the air to deliver a kick to Natsuki, who blocked it then countered it with her own, knocking him into the air before blowing a fireball at him. Kuroko recovered in time to teleport behind Natsuki using her own shadow then, once she turned to face him, he delivered a powerful right hook, followed by his shadow kicking her in the stomach while he knocked her off her feet.

Kuroko had a clone come from the ground, taking Natsuki into the air before slamming her head-first into the ground; Kuroko looked down at Natsuki, revelling in his victory when Natsuki suddenly stood up with black lightning around her and, before Kuroko could react; Natsuki was in front of him with a lightning infused uppercut, knocking him into the air and away from her.

' _Where did this power come from?'_ Kuroko thought in shock, as went sailing through the air. Natsuki didn't give him any time to breathe though as she jumped toward him and knocked him away again, before landing and running pass him to intercept and kick him across the ground.

Kuroko sent a clone to attack Natsuki from above but again, she blocked it, just as the real Kuroko came at her. Natsuki quickly kicked Kuroko away then activated a lightning aura to disperse the clone instantly but Kuroko recovered again and teleported to Natsuki, unleashing a flurry of attacks with his clone that Natsuki couldn't defend against, as the clone once again took her into the air and slammed her head-first into the ground as they landed.

Natsuki stood up after all that and just looked at Kuroko.

"Is that your best?" she mocked and Kuroko lunged at her but was punched into a tree where Natsuki used her Chidori Spear to pierce his shoulder and hold him in place.

Natsuki had Kuroko pinned against the tree and she began beating on him with left hooks and kicks before finally kicking Kuroko so hard in the chest that he went through the tree, and into the base of another that collapsed on top of him. By this time Natsuki's Hidden Mist jutsu had dispersed, and Kuroko was able to use his shadow manipulation to its full potential again, he teleported behind Natsuki.

"My power knows no limits!" Kuroko cried as he and several clones ganged up on Natsuki, hitting her from every angle but, with Natsuki in her Lightning Sage mode, she was able to block every strike out of pure speed, before she countered with a powerful right hook on the real Kuroko knocking him away.

Natsuki let out another burst of lightning aura to disperse his clones before appearing in front of Kuroko with a shoulder tackle, knocking him off balance, followed by a roundhouse kick that sent Kuroko flying through the air before crashing into the ground. As soon as Kuroko landed, Natsuki jumped into the air and broke Kuroko's leg upon landing on it, she then stomped on his head.

"It doesn't matter how infinite your power is." Natsuki started, and then stomped on Kuroko's head again. "You're still a thief; a trickster who relies on wit and deception to win." Natsuki stomped on his head again. "I am a true shinobi. I've fought Tailed Beasts, armies, I've seen the worst, been through the worst." Natsuki stomped again. "Your ' _power_ ' will never beat my experience." Natsuki stomped one final time as the real Kuroko leapt from a tree above Natsuki for a sneak attack, but instead, Natsuki impaled him with a Chidori.

"H-h-how?" Kuroko asked.

"I explained it to you already," Natsuki then leaned close to Kuroko's ear and said. "I'm better than you." Then pulled out her Chidori and watched Kuroko's body hit the ground.

Natsuki made her way to where the hostages were kept and opened the trap door.

After Dairuko sent his team and Jiraiya on their way back to the Mist, he went to look for his sister and found her sitting on a rock in front of the opened trap door.

"Hey, you okay?" Dairuko asked.

"Honestly? I'm not." Natsuki replied and looked at her brother with a tired expression on her face. "They're dead, Dairuko."

"What are you talking about?"

"The villagers are dead… they've been dead a while." She nodded at the open trap door.

"How long is a while?"

"Long enough that the villagers you fought were the last people of that village."

"Oh shit… the Hoka killed an entire village?"

"How do you know about the Hoka?"

"Drojin told me what they did to get him to work for them."

"I see."

"You already knew about them didn't you?" Dairuko asked and Natsuki chuckled.

"Yes I did."

"Why didn't you tell me or Itachi?"

"Because, Dairuko, this is my fight… not yours." Natsuki said and stood up to walk away when Dairuko stood in front of her.

"Don't give me that crap."

"Get outta my way, Dairuko, there's someone I need to see." Natsuki said and walked pass Dairuko who grabbed her wrist and, before she could pull her arm away, Dairuko spoke.

"Why are you pushing us away, Onee-chan?" Dairuko asked. Natsuki froze instantly; Dairuko hadn't referred to her like that in years.

"I… I've never gone up against people like them before. They're everywhere but I can't find them." She said not turning to face her brother.

"We can help you, Natsuki."

"I know, but I can't put our family at risk… just by bringin' you in to help me would put Tsunade, Hinata, Ayame and Keiko at risk and if Itachi died because of me…" Dairuko never let her finish as he brought her in for a hug.

"Everything will be alright, Natsuki… we've been through a lot and we are all still alive."

"Dairuko… I'm afraid." Natsuki said and hugged Dairuko back, burying her face into his chest.

"I know, but now you got me to help you." Dairuko smiled and lifted Natsuki's chin so she'd look at him.

"But Ayame and Keiko… if we slip up there's no telling what would happen to them."

"All the more reason I need to help stop these guys."

"Damn you, Dairuko, you always do this to me."

"Do what?"

"Your stupid 'brotherly love' thing."

"Yes, because you're trying to pull an Itachi and solo everything. Besides… if these guys are as bad as you say, then Team 0 needs to stop them, and I mean the entire Team 0, even our contacts in other villages."

"I hate you." Natsuki smiled with eyes full of tears.

"I know you do." Dairuko smirked. "I need to head to the Mist for my team. I'll meet you in Konoha." Dairuko said and Natsuki wiped her eyes and nodded her head as the two parted ways.

Kabuto went flying across the table that was in his makeshift hideout. Natsuki had decided to pay him a visit after what he had done to her and Jiraiya.

"You set us up, you son of a bitch!" Natsuki exclaimed as she picked him up off the floor.

"I had to earn their trust by any means." Kabuto said defensively, and Natsuki punched him in the stomach.

"You could've given me some sort of warning."

"That's what the cards were for! My way of evening the odds for you." Natsuki kneed Kabuto in the stomach again.

"And the villagers? Why didn't you tell me they were already dead?"

"You had to believe they were still alive." Natsuki gritted her teeth as Kabuto spoke.

"Betray me a second time and I promise you that you won't get a third chance." Natsuki said, and then let Kabuto go before storming out the door. Once she left, a hooded figure entered the room.

"Good work, Kabuto; she knows not where your loyalties lie." The hooded figure said.

"Yes, Hoka-sama." Kabuto said and bowed down, kissing the figure's proffered fist.

"Continue your work and you will have what you desire."

Itachi had left the hospital as soon as he was able to stand, he planned to face his would-be assassin outside the village and dispose of them swiftly. As he made his way toward the exit, he fell through the ground into an underground maze he didn't even know existed beneath Konoha.

' _What is this place?'_ Itachi thought to himself, when he felt a presence behind him suddenly, so he turned to face his potential attacker with his Sharingan active, and what he saw was a samurai in tengu armour in a stance that allowed a quick draw of their katana.

"Who are you?" Itachi asked but the samurai didn't answer. Instead, they lunged forward at a speed even Itachi couldn't keep up with; there was a soft, short whistle of a blade cutting through the air, and then blood splattered on the wall.


	7. Author's Note

**Author's note**

 **Hello my readers old and new**

 **The reason I called this meeting is to let everyone know that I'm trying something new with Team 0 because after much thought and serious contemplation of discontinuing the story after I failed the first few chapters of Shippuden but that won't happen again I'm bringing us back to the roots of quality over quantity. I was doing that thing movies do when they work towards a deadline rather than something people enjoy watching so yeah give me a second chance and you guys won't regret it I promise.**

 **I am separating Team 0 into three different stories each one following a particular member of the team as they deal with their own issues and such while allowing me to really focus in on that member's individual journey, character development and character relations so I don't feel like I'm spending too much time on one member and not others with the occasional crossover of course.**

 **The first story posted will be Itachi's which will take place directly after the last Team 0 Shippuden chapter followed by Natsuki's first chapter and finally Dairuko.**

 **Itachi Uchiha: Shadow of the Uchiha**

 **Natsuki: Into the Shadows  
**

 **Dairuko: Unbound**


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